Temozolomide: a new oral cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent with promising activity against primary brain tumours.

Abstract

Temozolomide, a new oral cytotoxic agent, has been given to 28 patients with primary brain tumours. Treatment was given at a dose of 150 mg/m2/day for 5 days (i.e. total dose 750 mg/m2) escalating, if no significant myelosuppression was noted on day 22, to 200 mg/m2/day for 5 days (i.e. total dose 1000 mg/m2) for subsequent courses at 4 week intervals. A major improvement in computer tomography (CT) scan was noted in 5/10 patients with astrocytomas recurrent after radiotherapy, with a major clinical improvement but minor improvement on CT scan in one further patient. Reduction in the size of the CT lesion was also observed in 4/7 patients with newly diagnosed high grade astrocytomas given 2-3 courses of temozolomide prior to irradiation. 1 patient with recurrent medulloblastoma had a clinical response in bone metastases. Temozolomide was well tolerated with little subjective toxicity and usually predictable myelosuppression and is a promising new drug in the treatment of primary brain tumours.

• Authors: S M O'Reilly, E S Newlands, M G Glaser, M Brampton, J M Rice-Edwards, R D Illingworth, P G Richards, C Kennard, I R Colquhoun, P Lewis
• Journal: European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) (Eur J Cancer) Vol. 29A Issue 7 Pg. 940-2 ( 1993) ISSN: 0959-8049 [Print] England
• PMID: 8499146 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Clinical Trial, Phase I, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Dacarbazine
• Temozolomide

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Astrocytoma (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Brain (diagnostic imaging)
• Brain Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Dacarbazine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Humans
• Temozolomide
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed